Zapping the brain to ease social anxiety: small study shows promise

NCT ID NCT07099521

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: South China Normal University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether a gentle, non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS could reduce negative thinking patterns in 74 young adults with social anxiety. Participants received 10 sessions over 5 days, targeting a brain area linked to emotion control. The goal was to see if the stimulation could shift attention, interpretation, and memory away from negative social cues.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
What this could lead to: If effective, this could point toward a non-drug, brain-stimulation approach to help people with social anxiety think less negatively in social situations.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study (74 people) with no phase designation. The effects may be small or not last long, and the results may not apply to everyone with social anxiety.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

social phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

Contacts and locations

Locations

School of Psychology, South China Normal University

Guangzhou, China

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.